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Inslee testifies against plan to roll back the Clean Power Plan

Summary

Trump Administration proposal would do nothing to curb carbon pollution and would actually worsen impacts of climate change.

Story

Gov. Jay Inslee testified in Chicago today on the Trump Administration’s plan to roll back the Clean Power Plan.

The hearing was the only public opportunity the Administration has provided for input on the plan that would replace one of the nation’s signature carbon reduction policies that aims to protect Americans from carbon pollution.

The Clean Power Plan is a broadly supported, cost-effective and flexible approach to reduce emissions from the nation’s power plants. It would have helped reduce carbon pollution in our nation by more than 350 million metric tons — or around 20 percent — by the year 2030.

This new proposal — the “Affordable Clean Energy” rule — will not curb carbon emissions. In fact, the EPA projects that this rule is 90 to 97 percent weaker than the CPP. The resulting amount of emission reduction across the nation’s entire power sector by 2030 would be less than the closing of a single large coal power plant. EPA’s own analysis even shows the program may lead to more deaths, more asthma attacks, and worse health outcomes.

When the proposal to replace the Clean Power Plan was proposed in August, Inslee and Attorney General Ferguson released a statement, denouncing the plan. Inslee and Ferguson’s office also announced their intent to pursue legal action to block the new proposal which they say is an abdication of the administration’s legal obligation to protect people from harmful greenhouse gas emissions.